Ecology of Red Maple Swamps in the Glaciated Northeast: A ...

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Table 8.1. Emrnpks ofgmss loss rates for inland vegetated wetlands in thegtaciated Northeast. Losses include changes from wetland to mnwetland, wetland to open watel; and wetland to farmlad (including cranberry bog). -- -- --- - Location Percent loss Study period Source -- - - - -- Pennsylvania Northern Poconos 15 1950's - 70's Tiner and Finn (1986) Northwestern region 5 1950's - 70's Tiner and Finn (1986) New Jersey Passaic County 15 1940-78 Tiner (1985) Central Passaic River basin 50 1940-78 Tiner (1985) Rhode Island South Kingstown 1 1939-72 Golet and Parkhumt (1981) Massachusetts Bristol Countya 7 1951-71 Larson et al. (1980) plymouth countyb 2 1977-86 Tiner and Zinni (1988) 15 communitiesC 4 1951-77 Organ (1983) Connecticut Central regiod 0.6 1980-86 Tiner et al. (1989) -- --- aOnly nonforested wetlands were included in this study. b~tudy area included most of Plymouth County and small sections of Norfolk, Rristol, and Barnstable counties. CCommunities were scattered across the state, and repwsented a wide range of physiographlr characteristics and population densities. d~tudy area included two-thirds of Hartford County and smaller portions of New IIaven, Tolland, and Middlesex counties. Information on losses of forested wetlands is even more scarce. Because forested wetlands predominate throughout the Northeast, the loss of these wetlands is assumed to be at least as great as that for other types of inland wetlands. With minor exceptions, such as timber harvesting, the causes of forested wetland alteration also are similar to those for other inland wetland types. Rates of Wetland Loss Loss rates reported for inland vegetated wetlands in the glaciated Northeast vary widely with geographic location and with the geographic scope of individual studies (Table 8.1). The greatest losses have occurred near major metropolitan areas. For example, nearly 50% of the wetland area in the central Passaic River basin of northern New Jersey was destroyed between 1940 and 1978; losses in Passaic County as a whole approached 15% during that period ('ISner 1985). The 4% loss of pdustrine vegetated wetlandbetween 1951 and 1977 in 15 communities scattered across the state of Massachusetts (Organ 1983) is probably an average figure for southern New England over that period. In Bristol County, Mass., however, 7% of the inland nonforested wetlands were lost over roughly the same period (1951-71). Recent studies show that the rate of wetland conversion in southeastern Massachusetts-and undoubtedly in other areas of the Northeast as well-remains significant even after implementation of state and federal regulatory programs. Tiner and Zinni (1988), for example, found that over 2% (513 ha) of the palustrine vegetated wetland in the Plymouth County area of Massachusetts was converted to upland, to open water, or to managed cranberry bogs between 1977 and 1986. More than 260 ha of forested wetlands were lost during that 9-year period. Principal Causes of Wetland Loss Although documentation is lacking, conversion of wetlands for agriculture, the construction of impoundments for hydropower and water supply, and the cutting of swamp timber for lumber, fence posts, and fuelwood were probably the dominant fom of inland wetland alteration in the Northeast prior t.o the mid-18Ws. Since that time, m d especially since World War 11, urbanization has emerged as the predominant force impacting wetlands in most parts of this region. The extent and causes of wetland loss have been documented in several areas of southern New England (Table 8.2).
Table 8.2. Relative importance (% of total loss) of various causes of inland wetktnd loss in southern New England. Losses include changes from wetland to nonwetland, wetland to open water; and wethnd to farmland (including cranberry bog). - -- -- -- 15 communities, Brisbl Count~ Plymouth County, Southern Central Massachusettsa ass.^ Mass: Rhode Islandd Connecticute Cause (1951-77) (1951-71) (1977-86) (1939-72) (1977-86) Agriculture Impoundments Highway construction Residential development Commercial development Recreational facilities Public facilities Dumps and landfills Industry Mineral extraction Peat harvesting Dam removal Other and undetermined Total loss (ha) during study period 442 244 513 28 99 Size of study area (km2) 1,300 1,435 1,641 159 1,997 -- -- - - - - --- - - - - --- -- - - aSt~dy by Organ (1983); comn~unities varied widely in physiography and population density. 'only nonforestcd wetlands were inventoried @,arson et al. 1980). Study area included most of I'lymouth County and small sections of Norfolk, Bristol, and Banlstable counties fliner and Zinni 1988). d~ata from Sotlth Kingstown, R.I. (Golet and Parklrurst 1981). Study by Tiner et ai. (1989). Value includes conlmercial and industrial cleve~opmcnt. "noluded in data for commercial development. A brief review of the most significant causes of wetland loss follows. All of these agents of change affect red maple swamps throughout the Northeast, but the relative importance of each varies geographically. Agridture Conversion of wetlands for agriculture was a major cause of inland wetland loss in many areas of the Northeast historically, and it is still an important factor May, most notably in New York, New Jersey, and parts of southern New England. As of 1968, the State of New York had more than 14,000 ha of drained mucklands-farmed wetlands with organic soils or mineral soils high in argaxxe matter content (Tiner 1988). The bulk of these drained wetlands are located in the Lake Ontario basin and in southeastern New York. MucMand farming and drainage for pasturage have been significant causes of wetIand loss in Middlesex, Sussex, and Wmen counties in northern New Jersey as well mner 1985). Most of the managed cranberry bogs in the Northeast have been developed in former palustrine vegetated wetlands. Larson et al. (1980) found a net increase of 28 ha of cranberry bogs in Bristol County, Mass., between 1951 and 1971. In nearby Plymouth County, 172 ha of vegetated wetlands were converted to cranberry bogs between 1977 and 1986 (Tiner and Zinni 1988). Nearly 100 ha of those new bogs were produced from forested wetlands, the majority of which were red maple swamps (Fig. 8.3). Other forested wetlands in the vicinity were impounded to provide irrigation water for the cranberry bogs. Overall, conversion to agriculture (cranberry bogs or cropland) was responsible for 64% of the wetland loss measured by Tiner and ZIrrni Fable 8.2). In some areas of New England, where agricultural practices have been abandoned, the lack of maintenance of drainage ditches has caused the land to revert to wetland (Office of Technology Assessment 1984).
Page 2 and 3:
Technical IIbpg~rt Series U.S. Fish
Page 5 and 6:
Preface In many areas of the glacia
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Acer rubrum (red maple) diagnostic
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Zone 111 . St . Lawrence Valley and
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Fig . 3.7. Red maple swap with unde
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Table 4.5. Flood tolerance of trees
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Chapter I. Introduction Wetland kbr
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Regional Setting throughout the gla
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C-J Spruce-Fa Beech-Birch-Maple Mit
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Fig. 1.4. The range of red maple (a
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~ b 1.5, h fircort~ of Wet landc Ir
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Fig. 22. &~lrit~ve Irtndtici~pe yos
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egional groundwakr table by the roc
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y e~rr~mtrtm~~,irzst ion. Cat~t,inu
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inflow^ Outflows OF SWQ SWI Fig. 25
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Fig, 23.6,Soasonally flmded red map
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Fig. 27. Water levels in six mode I
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The duration of soil saturation has
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Organic soils are always very poorl
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Chapter 3. The Plant Community The
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.dar02f 'B Xi? s%u?mma -?sway+xqq p
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Community S tructare Red maple swam
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suggesta a strong correlation betwe
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Table 3.2. Stmtuml chumcteristics o
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Table 3.3. Continued. "- -- - Speci
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Table __ 3.3. _ Continued ._.lll.__
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Table 3.3. Continued. . * - __.. ^.
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Zone I II III TV C" Drppnmriad* sp.
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on Long Island, pin oak, swamp whit
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fern moea (?ki.c&inz &limfulum), an
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countered (Table 3.3). The herb lay
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~akareous Seepage Swamps England si
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and globeflower are. listed in four
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was the most likely reason for diff
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kvei fluctuation during the gmwing
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Table 4.2. .Rektit.e ~bmchnce w Q)
Page 77 and 78: difficuit to delineate in many inst
Page 79 and 80: in the librature btlx>~ithe moi~ttl
Page 81 and 82: Origin. an$ Relationship to Water R
Page 83 and 84: Influence on Swamp Vegetation Flori
Page 85 and 86: taka wpra-x li)wcir, t raac* df~rla
Page 87 and 88: dwuL 4.3 6.3. C ~ ~ ~ strisk- P C I
Page 89 and 90: Chapter 5. Ecosystem Processes Irr
Page 91 and 92: - 0 2 E E 0l *" C 8 g 00 - c_ m 3 -
Page 93 and 94: Ehnzdoltf (IWj wm mmht~nt, rru@w on
Page 95 and 96: 1976; I">irwia RE& vari iier Vdk 18
Page 97 and 98: Xletritus Exprort and 'sod Chain Su
Page 99: Chapter 6. Wetland Dynamics Most no
Page 102 and 103: since forested wetland is the endpo
Page 104 and 105: kettle bogs, lakes, or large rivers
Page 106 and 107: mmdwakr depression wetlands. Becaus
Page 108 and 109: (Mniotila varia), regularly breed i
Page 110 and 111: EXusbtand arid Eddleman (1Y30) quan
Page 112 and 113: census results. Twenty-five (40%) o
Page 114 and 115: elated to avian richness and abunda
Page 116 and 117: Fig. 7.6. Wood duck (Aix sponsa). T
Page 118 and 119: Table 7.5. Small-mammal communities
Page 120 and 121: ing the latter years of flowage occ
Page 122 and 123: Chapter 8. Values, Impacts, and Man
Page 124 and 125: of the bordering upland. Both studi
Page 126 and 127: Fig. 8.1. ST folia) in pel fer. .bu
Page 130 and 131: Fig. 8.3. Southern New England red
Page 132 and 133: Fig. 8.4. Electric utility lines pa
Page 134 and 135: e expected to cause more drastic fl
Page 136 and 137: and enhancement has been a highly c
Page 138 and 139: y capturing sediment, reducing nutr
Page 140 and 141: M.R.S.A., Sect. 480.A). Research by
Page 142 and 143: Broadfoot, W. M., and H. L. Willist
Page 144 and 145: Fefer, S. I. 1980. me palushe syste
Page 146 and 147: Jordan, R J. 1978. Glacial geology
Page 148 and 149: Xew Hampshire Xatural Areas Program
Page 150 and 151: Ren MAPLE SWAMR 137 Smith, H. 1984.
Page 152 and 153: Appendix A. Sources of Floristic Da
Page 154 and 155: Appendix B. Plants of Special Conce
Page 156 and 157: Appendix B. Continued Species d Car
Page 158 and 159: Appendix C. Vertebrates That Have B
Page 160 and 161: Mourning warbler ... Nashville warb
Page 162 and 163: Appendix D. Vertebrates of Special
Page 164 and 165: ~tnte"and ronsewat ion stat ilu' d
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